AMD Delivers With ARM

AMD announces its first ARM v8 server processor codenamed Seattle based on the ARM Cortex-A57 CPU core, from Open Compute Summit.

At the Open Compute Summit, AMD announced its first ARM v8 server processor codenamed Seattle based on the ARM Cortex-A57 CPU core. The announcement was not unexpected because AMD indicated its intention to launch the new product this quarter. However, after Calxeda, another processor company working on an ARM v8 server chip, imploded last month, there have been some doubts about the viability of ARM-based servers. The AMD announcement is an important proof point, but just the first in what is likely to be a flood of announcements in 2014 from the ARM ecosystem targeting server applications.

AMD announced a new ARM-based 8-core Opteron A-series processor family. AMD’s SeaMicro division will also be offering server platforms based on the new processors. These solutions are targeted at large-scale datacenter applications like AMD’s recent win at Verizon. Although the announcement of the Verizon design win did not mention anything about the AMD’s ARM-based platform, being part of AMD’s product roadmap likely influenced the decision. Having products based on both the x86 and ARM architecture will allow AMD to offer the best of both worlds.

The server market is a very broad market when you consider all the possible applications, from back office enterprise servers to large communications and datacenter applications. As a result, there have always been multiple CPU architectures because of the varying requirements of the applications and workloads. This is unlikely to change in the near future; however, the ARM architecture not only brings a lower power architecture that is critical for dense server configurations, it also brings the flexibility of customized solutions, which is something that AMD is making a key part of the company's strategy going forward. Judging from the returns being reaped from the latest generation of game consoles using custom AMD chips, this appears to be a wise strategy.

For a company that many had proclaimed dead just 18 months ago, AMD has made a significant turnaround. Being one of the first ARM-based silicon and server providers marks another significant step in this turnaround and positions the company to be a leader in what is surely to be an exciting segment of the market, especially as the industry works to create a connected work. The AMD announcement also kicks off an exciting year for the ARM ecosystem as it works to bring cohesive hardware and software solutions to market.

Sampling only in march......it seems an end of the year thing to me, being a server cpu. We'll see the success of these little SOCs. Anyway i don't see news in the more lucrative segment of the server market, "Serious" AMD server roadmap says "no news" in 2014 and 2015. ARM is easy, you buy the IP and with a legolike action you can assemble a cpu. Unfortunately you can not differentiate much yourself from the competitors and the hardware is cheap.....margins too. Amd is trying to do its best in a non comfortable situation of marginality.

I would agree that the number of unit shipments by any of the ARM server or server processor vendors that have are will be annnouncing this year is minimal because of the process of developing and selling servers into the market, especially large installations. However, I do believe the ARM-based processors will have an impact on future server designs and processor ASPs by the end of the year.

In regard to standard vp. custom IP, there are tradeoffs to both design choices. Note that even using standard CPU cores does not rule out customization through the other functions of the chip. In AMD's case, they do have differentiation through the Freedom Fabric and the SeaMicro servers.

"However, I do believe the ARM-based processors will have an impact on future server designs and processor ASPs by the end of the year"

I think that all depends on how much Intel will lower the ASP of its C2000 server line and on what will be Q3 14nm Denverton and 14nm Broadell SOC. If these devices will are with a good interconnection fabric build in, i don't see much momentum of ARM in server space.

X86 ecosystem is too much comfortable and tool rich, ARM needs to prove to be substantiallybetter to do a dent in comodity server space. Unfortunately they are only at the beginning and there are many others, more advanced and estabilished RISC vendors who do not wantto losepotential customers. This is not Intel versus ARM but ARM versus the whole server industry, that is a different thing. All these projections about the future ARM penetration in server market are a little ridiculous or laughable.

Just now Intel owns the microserver space because was fast to deliver S1000 and C2000 lines. I don't think Intel will stop this strong action in near future, neither will sleep the big RISC vendors to maintain their customers or gain more.

"they do have differentiation through the Freedom Fabric and the SeaMicro servers"

yes this is the only chance, still Intel is not sleeping and it has its own 3D fabric solution for large installations of low power low performance SOCs.....same is valid for others large players in theserver market.

Strange enough, in consumer it is an Intel versus the world thing, in server space an ARM versus the world thing :).

There will be others, but for competitive reasons, many are holding the infomration very close.

Also, remember that this is not all about hardware, it is also about software. And, there are many in the software ecosystem that have a vested interest in seeing more than one architecture thrive. Stay tuned for more information.

I don't think BRCM will ship until 2015, Rick. They are using 14nm FinFet which is not available yet to them, and of course they are doing custom cores. Takes time! But they will be a serious player as this market evolves.

Interesting that both AMD and AppliedMicro will be sampling their 28nm chips this year though this is the second generation for Applied. I agree with Karl that Broadcom will not be in contention till late 2015 based on their announcements last year.

Whatever happened to Cavium's thunder - they were to sample early half of this year but all seems to be quiet.

Samsung, TI, Huawei are all dark-horses and might surprise everyone. I don't see why Huawei's HiSilicon cannot license A57 cores from ARM. They will first enter the chinese market.

How about nVidia? After a 2 year radio silence, Denver finally made an appearance although mobile centric. Could they make a move in the server space.

What about Qualcomm?

The space is getting crowded but it is still very early in the space. Other than Applied, no one has working silicon yet. Q4 2014 will be interesting indeed.

Cavium is all about MIPS... ARM seemed to be kind of a redheaded stepchild over there. I ran into this last year, trying to get ARM support from them for a new product. Well, that and all the SOC documentation.,, much of which just not available, even to existing customers. Freescale seemed happy to have the business, they seem to be able to give top support to more than one architecture, and they have great specs, everything we needed.